Digging Deeper: How To Really Read The Bible

(Acts 17:11 NKJV) 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

All methods of Bible study have value in learning God’s Word, but whatever method we use, the point to remember is that studying the Bible is what’s important.

THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Before we talk about different methods of Bible study, I want to make sure that we are taking into consideration the entire counsel of the Word of God.

The Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament about 250 times.

The new is in the old contained, and the old is in the new explained.

Aquila and Priscilla, believers who heard him teach, shared more of God’s revelation with him, and Apollos grew to become more effective in serving Christ (Acts 18:24–28).

(Acts 18:24-28 NKJV) 24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

DOCTRINE/CHRISTIAN LIVING
Another area is balancing the study of Bible doctrine with the study of practical Christian living and how to apply doctrinal truth to everyday life.

Paul’s preaching did this. He told the Ephesian elders, “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

The “whole counsel of God” is an all-inclusive term related to God’s revelation, covering both doctrine and duty in the Christian life.
In other words, there was no subject that he intentionally omitted from his teaching.
His preaching was well-rounded because, in part, he wanted his hearers to be the same.

The Expositional Method
Expositional Bible study means studying individual Bible books verse by verse, using the observation, interpretation, and application guidelines from last week.

Example
Acts 2:37-39 (NKJV) “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’”

1. Observation:
Who: Peter is speaking to a crowd in Jerusalem.
What: Discussing the necessary steps for salvation and receiving the Holy Spirit.
When: On the day of Pentecost.
Where: Jerusalem.
Why: The crowd is convicted after Peter’s sermon and wants to know how to be saved.
How: Is there an explanation about how things are done?

2. Interpretation:
Cut to the heart: A deep sense of conviction and realization.
Repent: To turn away from sin and toward God.
Be baptized in The name of Jesus Christ: An outward sign of an inward change.
For the remission of sins: Purpose of repentance and baptism.
The gift of the Holy Spirit: A promised empowerment and seal of our inheritance.

3. Correlation:
Cross-reference with Matthew 3:11, Luke 24:45-49, and John 16:7-15 for a comprehensive view on repentance, baptism, and the Holy Spirit.

4. Application:
Personal: Examine your own life for areas needing repentance. Have you fully experienced the new birth?
Church Leadership: Ensure that the teaching on salvation is comprehensive—covering repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, and baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Outreach: Prepare to guide people through these steps when they show conviction.

5. Prayer:
Pray for conviction where needed, for clarity in teaching these principles, and for boldness in sharing this message with others.

THE SURVEY METHOD
When we use the survey method, we study Bible books as a whole to become acquainted with general information rather than the details of each verse.

We can also survey the entire Old or New Testament so we understand how the books of the Bible are divided and relate to each other. The thirty-nine Old Testament books can be divided into five categories:

Genesis through Deuteronomy, the first five books, are known as the Law or the Pentateuch (meaning five volumes).
1. Joshua through Esther are the twelve historical books.
2. Job through Song of Solomon are the five poetic books.
3. Isaiah through Daniel are the five major prophets.
4. Hosea through Malachi are the twelve minor prophets.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, with some small sections written in Aramaic. They deal primarily with God’s relationship with His chosen nation, Israel.

The twenty-seven New Testament books, originally written in Greek, can be divided into four categories:
1. The four Gospels and Acts are the historical books.
2. Romans through Philemon, the next thirteen books, are letters of the apostle Paul to churches or individuals.
3. Hebrews through Jude, the next eight books, are called the general letters.
4. Revelation, a prophetic book, appropriately ends the New Testament.

Example
Overview:
1. Author: Luke
2. Audience: Theophilus and, by extension, all believers.
3. Purpose: To chronicle the birth and growth of the early Christian Church and show the spread of the Gospel.
4. Time Period: Around AD 30-60
5. Key Theme: The work of the Holy Spirit in empowering the apostles and expanding the Church.

Structure:
Jerusalem and the Birth of the Church (Ch. 1-7)
1. Ascension of Jesus
2. Pentecost
3. Early Christian community
4. Stephen’s martyrdom

Spread of Christianity in Judea and Samaria (Ch. 8-12)
1. Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch
2. Conversion of Saul
3. Peter’s vision and Cornelius
4. Persecution and James’ martyrdom

Paul’s Missionary Journeys (Ch. 13-21)
1. First journey to Galatia
2. Second journey to Macedonia and Greece
3. Third journey to Ephesus and return to Jerusalem

Paul in Jerusalem and His Journey to Rome (Ch. 22-28)
1. Arrest in Jerusalem
2. Trials and appeals
3. Journey and shipwreck
4. Ministry in Rome

Key Passages:
1. Acts 1:8: The Great Commission and the baptism of the Holy Spirit
2. Acts 2:1-4: The Day of Pentecost
3. Acts 2:38: Our Response To the Gospel
4. Acts 9:1-19: Saul’s Conversion
5. Acts 15: The Jerusalem Council
6. Acts 28:30-31: Paul’s ministry in Rome

Themes:
1. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and how it empowers believers
2. The importance of repentance and baptism
3. Unity and diversity in the Church
4. God’s sovereign control in spreading the Gospel

Application:
1. Personal: Reflect on how the Holy Spirit is working in your life and ministry.
2. Church Leadership: Acts provides a blueprint for church planting, evangelism, and communal life. How does this align with our vision for Extraordinary Church?
3. Outreach: Acts emphasizes the importance of going “to the ends of the earth.” This should shape and inform global missions or local evangelistic efforts.

Prayer Focus:
Pray for wisdom in leadership, outreach, and teaching, aiming to follow the apostolic patterns shown in Acts.

THE TOPICAL METHOD
Occasionally, we have a specific topic from the Bible we’re interested in studying. We want to accumulate all the Bible says about it and then organize the information.

THE BIOGRAPHICAL METHOD
Individual people in the Bible are of interest, so we may want to develop a character sketch.

God doesn’t hide the weaknesses of His servants.

David, the man after God’s own heart, sinned in the matter of Uriah the Hittite (1 Kings 15:5).
The apostle Peter denied the Lord (Matthew 26:69–74).
Elijah was a man just like us (James 5:17).

THE WORD OF STUDY METHOD
When we are growing in Bible knowledge, some terms may be unfamiliar to us. Words like propitiation, redemption, imputation, justification, and sanctification are basic to the message of God’s salvation in Scripture.

The words of Scripture are those God-inspired, so they become part of our study. God wants us to understand them. By using a concordance, you’ll be able to locate these words and see how they’re used.

For example, several Greek words might be translated into one English word. Using a study tool like Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance is essential to understanding various meanings.

Example

The World
Three Greek words all translate into the English word world. The Greek word kosmos is used in

(John 3:16 NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This refers to humanity.

The Greek word aion is used in
(Romans 12:2 NKJV) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It refers to the particular age in which we live that’s influential with false ideas and evil.

The Greek word oikoumene is used in (Matthew 24:14 NKJV) And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew is referring to the inhabited world of people.

THE DEVOTIONAL METHOD
This is the most common study method.